When am I?
by Wateriercrown5
Summary: When our new sentient virus friend wakes up from dying he gets to have a taste of Grimdark. Within lies a recount of his adventure from arrival within the Imperium on. This is my first story and it will probably have very infrequent updates.
1. Chapter 1

**(Edits for Quality.)**

It started as a blinding flash. The moments before being consumed by nuclear fire was a single thought. 'Alex failed us. We were his creations and he let us die.' I know it's strange to blame him, but it was his choice to turn Heller. Now we're all dead, they're cleaning the island with nuclear fire.

I woke up, which was in and of itself a shocking but pleasant turn of events. I'm a liquid there's not much of me from the shape I'm being held in I would say that I am in a test tube not exactly the best way to wake up. There's not enough room in the tube for me to make any useful sensory organs and nowhere near enough space for me to attempt to break the glass. 'I guess let's hope for a lazy lab technician. Hell, maybe some idiot will drink me...here's to hoping at least.'

That was my existence for as long as I can remember, just some black sludge in a glass vile. Then one-day vibrations rocked me at first soft almost distant, but soon they were ever growing closer. Then it happened I was knocked off wherever I was being stored and for the first time in a long time I was able to move, and move I did. Quickly growing the most basic of sensory organs I was shortly stunned by the information overload lights and color were still lost to me but I could see shapes so I moved quickly as what is effectively a small slug could, soon finding a corner. Making my way to the ceiling I change form again taking the shape of a single human eye with a few connective tissues holding me to the wall. What I saw was interesting, to say the least. I was not in a lab but instead a very large and ornate office there was debris everywhere and a body on the floor. Whatever had happened here it was over now. I return to my slug-like form and slowly make my way to the body. 'Is anybody gonna eat this? No? Well, don't mind if I do.' I quickly burrow into the very portly and flashily dressed man absorbing biomass all the way. I feel better than I have in a long time. Soon I finally make it to the brain...or what's left of it. The man's early life is completely lost to me but that's not what I need. I learn his name… or rather my new name Gaius Torwinnis Lord Governor of the Torwinnis system of the Imperium of Man. 'Well then...that's quite the mouthful.' I take a moment to absorb the leftover blood on the ground I stand slowly and take in my surroundings. Now from what my memories tell me I was just assassinated by my assistant after my discovery of… and that's it. That part of this poor bastards brain was mush when I got here. It was not soon after finishing my thoughts that a group of armed guards charged into my office the lead guard is one of 'my' personal honor guards.

"My lord what has happened there were reports of gunshots." Quickly assuming the role of the injured victim my arm out of their view covered itself with blood and a fresh and painful looking hole using the earlier hole in my head as a reference. Thinking quickly my response came to sound like barely controlled anger and pain.

"It was Dominus, My secretary tried to assassinate me! Hunt him down this instant!" The roar of righteous fury was perfectly executed the honor guard, Captain Juris if memory serves quickly turned to those following him gesturing wildly and very angrily might I add.

"Lord Gaius has been assaulted capture Dominus he is not to leave this tower alive!" So far so good I must say. I go to my desk nursing my arm in false pain as I shout with great indignation.

"Quickly Juris summon a medicae!" The aforementioned soldier spoke quickly into a com-bead soon followed by the sounds of rushing feet. The medicae rushed into the room as if his life depended on it, which looking back on it his life probably did. His speed and efficiency in treating my 'wound' were nothing to shrug at. While this was going on I turned back to the good captain.

"I want him found and killed captain he assaulted his lord with the intent to kill! I can not and will not let this stand!" I received a curt nod from the captain again routing my wishes through his comm.

"Understood my lord it shall be done." He stands by the door at attention in case of a second attempt. I would prefer privacy but I know that is what the 'old' me would want right now Gaius, however, the paranoid fat bastard that he was would want every guard that wasn't currently searching the spire to be protecting him. And if that's the way he would act that's the way I will act...for now.

Two weeks, I've been Gaius for two weeks, and I must say I'm impressed the man didn't blow his own brains out. The sheer amount of bureaucracy within the Imperium of Man is nothing short of appalling. So far the only changes I've made were slight cuts to taxation due to how ridiculously exorbitant they were and a very serious cleaning of the house. There are so many corrupt officials that I've slashed my cabinet in half and replaced them a dozen times over. Worst than that there are probably still hundreds of them from bribery at all levels of government to lords and major landowners that maintain private armies approaching if not equaling my own. The only way I maintain my authority is by using the PDF as part of my personal army and several under hive gangs in my pocket. While yes it seems rather hypocritical to fight corruption by doing things that a corrupt man would. It will take months to straighten this place out, however, I feel like I'm acclimating well to this life, I've definitely eaten enough politicians and lawyers for it.

A month passes in much the same way fighting within the cutthroat politics of the Imperium. As time passes I find myself getting used to it, Not a great job to have if you give a damn. It's more a job to lounge in the benefits of and slowly watch as your power is subsumed but competing for minor lords and other such self-centered officials. Not me sadly no, I decided to be the one in a billion. On the bright side, I'm now down two of my greatest competitors for control of this sector. They both under fell terrible accidents, one a hunting accident on one of these planets forest moons he was brutally mauled by an 'animal' the other was ambushed by criminals during a visit to one of the seedier parts of the hive he governed. Both have been replaced by two who are well and truly loyal, well at least as loyal as humans can be. It's not too bad people seem to be liking me. It's a great thing feed some starving peasants provide for their basic needs and suddenly there singing your name in the streets. I've changed physically as well the slouch of a portly man I used to be is gone. I've 'lost' a lot of weight slimming a little bit at a time over almost two months. I'm not exactly a powerlifter yet but I'm slimming, and in some part of my memory storage that's still kinda human is pleased by that.

Three months later and I'm not feeling great starving yourself that long is never a good idea. I look trim enough but it's mostly because I'm running low on biomass. My rate of cell decay is stable and I've taken minimal damage the only issue is at the current state of cell death coupled with the low low amount of biomass that was one fat guy supplemented by the odd feast or two but I've just been so busy trying to fix things and I've been shot, stabbed, and generally damaged so many times that I'm running low. On the other hand, I can't just go eat whatever, well… more whoever I want. The issue is that the fear that spent the most time at the forefront of his mind was the Inquisition and to have a run-in with them is much worse than any other fate. Moving past that unhappiness. I'll have to hunt… the underhives will supply many prey items granted they are not going to be very high in quality, eating better or not they're still mostly skin and bones. I've recently promoted the good captain to my head of the guard and I've been thinking about getting up to my old ways. Especially when it comes to the Evolved a lesser form of what I am. When night falls I enter the under hive in my old form in the clothes of the region. Nothing too special a little on the taller side shaggy brown hair I honestly look like another one of the people. Which the small human part of my brain finds somewhat insulting. Finding people alone will be nigh impossible. This conclusion leads me to a change in tactics. I slip behind a blind corner and freshen up a bit aim more for lesser noble's son clean myself up a bit appearance wise a fresh 'haircut' and wearing a mask of uncertainty I begin to wander back alleys it wasn't long before would be predators thought they smelled blood in the water.

"You lost boy?" I will admit he is a rather large gentleman. Well fed strong not very fast just a low-level bruiser just here to look strong. He had a few lesser street runners...most of these kids are probably more afraid of me than I of them… even if I were still human. Well time to play my part.

"If I a...am?" Let's try to keep it scared but unafraid. Just a bit of a stutter makes it seem like I'm putting on a brave front. From what I can tell it's working they continue to approach slowly but surely.

"Then ya' should let me an' my boys here help ya' find yer way back yeah? For a price of course." He straightened his tattered suit as if this lowly thug was some honest businessman. This filth thought me sheep, interesting to say the least. He was still walking slowly towards me they were close enough now. To pounce or not to pounce let the farce continue or butcher them now. The choice is made and I erupt, tendrils ripped from my body each one was an inch thick hundreds of them. If someone walked into this alley it would look like someone was tracking the trail of shrapnel from an explosion, and then they were gone seven men consumed in an instant. I felt strong better than I had in days seven full-grown humans should keep me going for quite a while. Who knows maybe I can use the minds of those I took for my experiments later. For now back to business I must return to being the lord governor.

In the following three months I've placed this world under my iron grasp. The dissenters faced many accidents it's commonplace for politicians to face 'accidents' in the Imperium at large. So no one really questioned it but now all of the personal armies have been redistributed and combines this the various PDF's of the system. The tithe is primarily paid in lives and food from this system sadly we have no major representative from the Cult Mechanicus in this system only a couple forge hives.

But now that I'm on the top of things here I can't help but wonder what the point in all of this is. I have all of the power the ruler of a world should have but none of the drive. I lack the greed that drives most in this empire. I have no interest in bettering this galaxy in the name of a united and powerful humanity like the worshiped Emperor. At best I have a passing interest in some of the mutations that have come about from humanity that has been around for tens of thousands of years. So I've decided to leave.

I've been looking into what I can make. So far the best I've done In recreating a weaker form of my strain. The weakest form or 'Drones' as I call them are almost completely empty-headed relying almost entirely on the hive-mind for completing most functions. They Can blend in locally for the most part maintaining just enough individuality to hold conversations and maintain their cover. Next, are the 'Warrior' Mostly just a step above 'Drones' independence wise. However, they have access to most if not all of my combat abilities allowing for limited personal customization. The final version is an upgraded version of the 'Warriors' I've taken to referring to as 'Sergeants'. The 'Sergeants' are greatly superior to the 'Warriors'. I've given the most free will I feel safe giving them, their primary purpose is to lead the 'Soldiers' so giving them enough individuality to make tactical decisions is of paramount importance. They have a secondary purpose in acting almost like synapse nodes in the hive mind distributing strain across multiple minds for processing power.

The only one of these three that exists is the 'Sergeant' I turned the good captain Juris into a 'Sergeant' when I finalized the design leading us to now I've given him permission to turn a fair dozen of his captains into 'Soldiers' for the sake of testing. I made a 'Drone' of a minor lord in my court but there was nothing to be impressed by I mostly did it to prove the point.


	2. Chapter 2

**(Edits for Quality.)**

I decided to use the 'Drone' I made as a body double. I was choosing to leave to see if I could take a better look at the galaxy at large. I took the captain and two 'warriors' with me. The journey was going to be interesting. We stowed away on a large void ship taking us out of the system. The transition through the warp is going to take three months from what I hear. It was interesting at first definitely an eye-opener to see how things get done on the ships of the Imperium. Servan-slaves make up the bulk of the workforce toiling with the day to day tasks of keeping the ship running while the more significant issues were handled personally by several adepts and initiates of the cult of Mars. My 'Hive Forms' and I did quick work of infiltrating the ship taking crewmen of the ship at various levels as our identities.

In the time since my arrival, I made several 'drones' of the servant-slaves working to maintain the ship. I also managed to make well over two dozen 'warriors' of various armsmen patrols taken before the alarms. The very nature of the 'Hive Forms' as I've begun to refer to them requires no effort on my part after infection. The process changing them itself does that it changes them for the 'Drones' it robs them of almost all sense of individuality making them puppets of the hive only enough of them is left to maintain a cover.

Getting my hands on a member of the bridge-crew however, was much more difficult I finally found my chance when a gunnery officer decided to slum it in the lower sections of the ship. He had just left a less than reputable 'bar' he was disheveled, but I recognized him from the memories of a couple of crewmen, they were swabbies cleaning up an Officer that disappointed the captain one too many times. I used a gang that I turned into 'Drones,' a dozen or so rather rough and tumble guys. I choose to make him a 'Sergeant' he's been inserted into the hierarchy in command of the various crew members that were changed.

By the third week of the second month, the 'Hive Virus' is reaching epidemic levels. Now that we've gained a majority. Things are interesting. The information provided by converting the ship's captain into a 'Sergeant' was useful. The supplies shipped from my system are being sent to feed imperial forces currently embroiled in an attempt to dislodge an Ork infestation being led by Warboss 'Git Smasha'. This 'Git Smasha' seems to be leading a lessor Waaagh in this sub-sector. As it seems, the only reason they reached my system was because of the work of these fine men and women with all of this information and some other little facts about the sub-sector.

And now as I sit on a throne of honor on the bridge, I can only think about all that has happened since my awakening. This humanity that I find myself amongst is so willing to damn the collateral that blacklight, as it was, is almost entirely useless. With horrible mutations and twisted forms could only be viewed as the mark of chaos in this world. Any planet I touch with the original blacklight virus would be wiped clean via exterminatus. So, for now, the monsters must wait.

We left the warp a week ahead of schedule a sign of good fortune the ship captain tells me. The captain was a retired naval officer who was given command of this ship by a wealthy lord governor who had long since died. This Captain, known as Jean Lucard, has commanded this ship for a very long time. Making use of the empires chemical rejuvenation treatments he has sat at the helm of this ship for a long one hundred and twenty years, and I must say he doesn't look a day over forty. It's rather impressive to see how far this Imperium has gone to stave off death. He seems to be enjoying his newfound immortality. The last of the humans on board are made into various 'Hive Forms' days ago. They were mostly 'Drones,' but many approaching most of the armsmen were turned into 'Warriors.' This was all done will little fighting all it would take is one 'Warrior' mixed with a group of armsmen out on there patrols and groups of five to eight would be converted at a time. After we dropped off the supplies, I decided to get a better look at how the Imperium wages war.


	3. Chapter 3

**(Edits for Quality.)**

Now war in the Imperium well ground combat at least. Looking down from the safety of the ship, all I can think is the battle of the psalm at a planetary scale. Trenches stretched across miles upon miles of this planet's surface. From what I can see of the Orks battle …strategy… if you could even call it, that is to overrun the defenses with the sheer might of numbers. It has not been without some degree of success; there are obvious signs of the lines shifting often. From the reports that a few well placed 'Warriors' on the station used to direct the efforts of those below, I receive constant updates on the movements and engagements of Imperial forces. It would seem that the battle in orbit had finished days ago due to the majority of the ships crashing to the surface of the planet. This appears to be a tactic enacted often by the greenskins. Hearing this and receiving much more information on the subject of the Orks can only lead me to believe that I will never understand these creatures. Their tactics are brutal but straightforward, with little care for individual lives as long as they can get a good fight out of it. This absolutely alien behavior genuinely floors me. This leads me to an epiphany. I am honestly dealing with a completely alien race. These creatures aren't held back by human weaknesses. These hulking fungaloid towers of muscle and hatred care for nothing other than fighting.

Taking around two hundred of my newly minted 'Warriors' we mixed in with the next round of reinforcements being sent into the thickest part of the fighting in the northern hemisphere. The section of trenches we're in is almost brand new, which makes the fact that they're already drenched in blood brains and various bodily fluids all the more impressive. As our section didn't have to fear, we choose to make use of the biomass.

Shockingly it was complete silence for three days. Followed by the obvious all hell broke loose rokkits, stikk bombs, and a whole load of dakka crashed into our position. And oh boy were they happy to get into melee range, which ended worse for them than they expected. The first Ork to land in the trench was ripped apart in seconds when what was initially scared looking humans became faceless monstrosities with blades and claws for limbs, and we truly fell upon them. They were dying in droves, and they seemed to be loving it. They were practically manic at the idea of an enemy meeting them head to head at least until they realized there thinning numbers that mixed with our complete lack of casualties left them concerned. And it continued to be like that for the next month while we falsified reports to make our engagements look more manageable and often calling in unnecessary artillery strikes. We even went as far as to leave some of our numbers on the ground for a while using the refreshment troops as food or additional 'warriors.'

By the time we were cycled to the back line, I had gone from two hundred to well over three hundred 'warriors' most of which towards the three-month mark was smuggled back to the ship as falsified casualties...it helps that we can compress ourselves to fit in boxes. It's always interesting watching a full solid human basically melt into a writhing puddle of black and red and almost poor themselves into crates. Moving on this trip wasn't all pleasure. After a few Orky specimens were consumed and their DNA was experimented with we found their muscle density particularly interesting. It took a lot of work, but in addition to their strength we managed to crack their reproductive cycle while we couldn't use it to spread the 'Hive Strain' a means of using it to pass along less sophisticated forms of blacklight in a self-replicating airborne strain could be interesting. Who knows maybe with some more processing power to put to the problem we could use this strand of the Ork DNA to create a similar equivalent maybe as some humanoid mindless drones. They wouldn't have a form to take, but by the point of their use, they would probably not need to take a human form. Still, thoughts for the future need to focus on the now.

Over the next few days, men were 'transferred' to other companies, most of them deserting and making their way back to the ship one way or another. Now I'm faced with a new question Return to the Torwinnis system and possibly start spreading the 'Hive Strain,' or continue traveling using Captain Lucard to gather new and increasingly more exciting DNA to create new strains and upgrade blacklight further.


	4. Chapter 4

**(Well here's chapter four everyone. Sorry for the long wait.)**

 **(Edits for Quality.)**

I sent the ship back to the Torwinnis system with Captain Juris instructed to begin slowly converting the PDF into 'warriors.' Also apparently due to the nature of the armor form, we can survive in a vacuum for extended periods. So I took a walk. A calm, peaceful and extremely radioactive drift across the void got me to the hull of the battleship in orbit of the Ork infested world. The face of the poor Swaby next to the airlock I entered through was priceless. And with my newest disguise in place, I took a walk. The air on this ship was palpable everyone seemed so worried then again who knows when some Orks in some slapdash trashcan is going to slam through the hull and start ripping them apart.

I've been here for a week, and honestly, the constant fear around me's been getting annoying. I'm starting to hope for an enemy boarding so that something will happen. If I have to give these people any credit, it's there gruesome willingness to kill their own to prove a point whether it's to force the slave to work harder or to confirm that the one dispensing this 'justice' is scarier that whatever they are fighting. These commissars have an impressive capacity to force troops that would otherwise run to fight till death no matter at whose hands it might be.

Finally, something has happened, the ship was rocked with a momentous impact as one of the lone few Ork hulks left in orbit rammed into the battleship. The armsmen didn't stand a chance you'd swear the rock the Orks landed in was practically eighty percent nobs with a lesser Warboss leading up the charge.

I haven't seen anyone in a while I've been wondering the halls of the ship...cleaning up after the Orks. Never waste suitable biomass, I always say. It's been boring, for the most part, they seem to have killed each other evenly. The lower decks are entirely dead. I've been walking to the bridge for the last couple of days now.

"Oi' 'old up there, ya' git!" Ahh, the snack of the evening. To say that the Ork wasn't prepared to be met with five serrated blades lodged in his chest.

"Uhh, W'ut?" Was all the poor beast got out before being rent into meaty chunks with a simple flex of my 'fingers.' My armor wrapping around me within seconds as the first shoota' rounds impacted knocking small pieces out of my torso and arms. Lashing out I raked my claws across the nearest Ork. I was striking from too far away to reduce him to ribbons but saying that he died would be an understatement as he fell to the ground with a wet plop. The next brought his choppa' down on my shoulder. While it did shatter for his efforts, it managed to bury shards of itself more than an inch into my shoulder. Reminding me yet again just how dangerous even the lower end Ork boyz could be, Quickly rewarding him for his achievement by crushing his skull and watching him collapse to the ground before moving on to the last of the small group that found me. This last one now fully aware of the threat I posed did both the smartest yet dumbest thing he could have. He chucked a grenade at me. Now, this was smart because of all their weapons explosives, and power weapons would be the most likely to damage me. Now he's an idiot because he was standing five feet away when he threw it the power of fear I guess. So I got blown up, and the last thing going through my mind was my face.

I'm not sure how long I was unconscious after that. When I came too, I was a grease stain on the wall. Luckily there were more than enough bits of Orks and me scattered around to pull myself back together with a little effort shaky but otherwise alright. It's never fun to unwillingly become a liquid but no time to throw a hissy fit.

Another three hours of travel brought me to a relatively open intersection. Though something was different the barricade of random junk thrown up in a hurry was still intact, and I could see humans on the other side with my 'hunter vision' meaning at the very least this section of the hallway was still in Imperial hands. Deciding to look the part of someone that's been through hell I scrap my right arm replacing it with a cauterized looking stump with some bandages loosely tied around it along with various scrapes burns and scratches. Giving myself a quick look over in a small hand mirror I made scruffy would be a good descriptor. I was still wearing that swabbie he had long shaggy black hair adding a few days of unkempt to his face with a few minor scratches his clothes once decently cared for were ruined with the whole left arm missing converted into the bandages covering the stump. I truly am an artist making a disguise just injured enough to be believable but not too damaged as to be a written off on sight.

I slowly hobbled towards the makeshift embankments throwing a few stumbles for a bit of dramatic flair. I could hear even at this distance. Some alarm was being raised at the approach of an unknown individual. Moment of truth I just crossed into firing range lets hope someone looks before firing. One step, two steps, three… well, it seems I won't have to play dead as of right now. As I finally crossed into the human hearing range, someone called out.

"That is far enough. Identify yourself." It was an officer obviously the one in charge a commissar at that, made evident but the iconic hat and coat.

"I'… I am Jonathan Horvath sir, I'm a janitorial servant from lower engineering sir," My words were scratchy and pained but still obviously the voice of a scared young man. Young Jonathan was no more than seventeen Terran years old when I got my hands on him. The commissar was looking at me critically in some seeming attempt to suss out any falsehoods by sight alone. He seemed to enjoy the small amount of cowering I threw in to pad his ego a bit, and it seemed to work as soon after that he shouted at his men and no long after that there was a small hole made in the wall of junk that allowed me to shuffle through with little difficulty. It was as I finally made it to the other side that I found the commissar waiting for me. With him were about two dozen or so armsman all looked disheveled and tired, the commissar, however, seemed well rested and maintained. I bet he has an entire nearby crew cabin to himself. He gives me the time to find my footing on the deck plates before introducing himself.

"I am commissar Eringer Vess, acting commander of this defensive fortification. How may I ask did 'you' make it out of lower engineering? As far as I had heard, it's completely lost to the Ork filth." I knew my response needed to be worded very carefully to prevent a summary execution.

"Well, you see my lord, many of us were off duty in a section just behind the point of impact. Those thrice damned Orks seeing more of a challenge moving bridge-ward and towards the habitation and barracks sections drew the attention of the lions share of the enemy. It allowed many of us the opportunity to get away relatively unscathed. However, a small group of I and six others were making our way out of the compromised sections in some attempt of reconnecting with friendly forces until we were attacked four days ago. Only I and another managed to get away with our lives she, however, succumbed to her compounded wounds a day and a half later… this left me as the only one left up until I found this place." Grim looks crossed the faces of many as I recounted my journey from the lower end of the ship.

"Truly a harrowing tale, private Kerra show this man to a bunk for some well-earned rest." I could honestly only nod in agreement as I was shown to a rather hastily built looking barracks. And honestly, I could use the time to process a plan for when I 'wake up.'


	5. Chapter 5

I must Admit… I'm impressed by this little band of humans I find myself in the presence of. They are a credit to there species each of them. I've spent a little over a week here at this small bulwark of theirs we've weathered more than three assaults from the orks. Morale is rather high all things considered, though I don't feel we've been attacked in earnest yet. The biggest orks we've seen thus far have been nobs, and we've only seen two maybe three of them. We've been waiting… there's been a lot of that going on. It's hard to keep sane with all of this waiting with quick bouts of action in between. If I'm honest, this is the most human I've felt in awhile it's been illuminating spending time with these the rank an file of humanity. But all things must come to an end it was something like six weeks before the official all-clear was given. It would be months before repairs were complete.

Now, this might seem counter-intuitive to the sincere compliment; I just gave these little humans. However, I've decided to take them with me the squad of fourteen with commissar and all. I was quickly recovered by Juris and Lucard, making our way back to the Torwinnis sector. It was interesting… to say the least. You see I usually feel nothing in the warp just writhing miasmic emotion, but now it was something different as we moved closer to the Torwinnis sector something changed. I could feel the non-space calming as we got closer. This did, however, raise a question. What is this warp? Most of the sector has been changed by now. Does that have something to do with the change? The return trip was faster and speeding up the closer we get to the Torwinnis sector. I've combed through the memories of Captain Lucard. He's never seen or heard of anything like this. But this does give me time to work on the newest strain. You see I had to get creative with the navigators We've been acting around them luckily they're kept separate from the general populous anyway. But things could change at any moment. I've had their DNA for a while now, but I haven't been able to isolate the navigator gene. My hard work hasn't paid off yet, but I'm getting close to a breakthrough.

It's taken two months of our travel but my complete attention and eighty percent of the thousands of people on this ship as processing power. I've found it, and a new 'Hive Form' has been born. I call them 'Seekers' the second I finalized the design the navigators were changed almost immediately.


	6. Chapter 6

I'd taken to a form of meditation for the past few months. It's been… interesting I can feel my connection to the hive forms growing. It's interesting they've begun to act almost as extensions of my limbs. It almost reminds me of when I first felt the blacklight virus around me… in the Red Zone… It's been so long since I thought about that time.

(Wibbly flashback noises.)

"I can't believe they've got us in the most dangerous part of the city fucking babysitting…" One of our oh so benevolent Blackwatch bodyguards said with an obvious lack of interest if we heard him or not.

'Fucking baby killers so full of themselves…' Keeping that thought to myself for obvious not getting murdered reasons. We'd been out here collecting samples for something like the last six or seven hours. It's kind of hard to keep track of time over all of the screaming and dying civilians and infected. Today's actually been pretty quiet honestly. We only lost like six troopers and a couple of stupid lab interns that didn't seem to understand 'Stay away from the glowing pustules.' when it's screamed at them.

"... Shit…" I spoke up for the first time getting some attention. "I jinxed us…" Now the other 'nerds' as our accompaniment would put it mostly laughed it off the Blackwatch soldiers were less than happy about it. I didn't even know it was possible for them to get jumpier.

It was no less than ten minutes later when it happened. I heard it before I saw anything the sound of tearing flesh. I'd only just managed to turn around before one of our escorts torsos landed at my feet. That's when the screaming started what yet was worse was the creature that did this. We'd have been screwed if it was a hunter yet this was far worse. I'd never seen it before it looked human but it wasn't it looked like it was made of twisted black roots and metal plates with a nearly perfectly smooth face with a large forked crack marring it.

"It's Mercer!" One of the soldiers said, opening fire.

'That's fucking Mercer?!' Where my eloquent thoughts as my legs made haste to carry me away. It wasn't a minute before the screams stopped. All I could think was that I needed to keep hearing I could hear him quickly gaining. I don't know if it was luck or divine intervention but I tripped. Only to hear the swish of his clawed hand barely missing my back. Running is the only thing on my mind, barely diving through a nearby window, or at least I thought it was barely. As soon as I hit the ground I felt it, I'd left something outside. Something as in both my legs from the knees down.

'Fuck fuck fuck! It hurts so muuuch! I can't die like this!' Crawling as fast as I can just trying to get away bleeding out all the way. I heard glass crunching under shoes soon followed by a strange almost slithering sound.

"Well… aren't you dedicated little survivor?" It was horrifying no feeling in his voice what so ever. I just keep crawling no energy to waste talking. I made it two feet more before getting picked up by the back of my shirt only to be sent flying into a wall. All the air knocked out of me all I could do was wheeze and cough while Mercer stalked over to me. He looked at me as a terrifyingly curious look crossed his face.

"How about this little survivor… If you can pull through this little experiment of mine… your life will be your own to live." He was looking at me so expectantly with his 'scientific' curiosity written on his face paired with a psychotic smile. Feeling what little remained of my strength and having no pleasant alternative, I gather up all of the hate left in my body and level him with the stink eye to end all stink eyes.

"Fuck it… Do what you want." That said with more than a few hacking coughs and it's said that Alex Mercer's psychopathic smile grew five times that day. The bastards shit-eating grin practically split his face. I would have spit on him if I wasn't certain I would just dribble on myself. Alex seemed to not like that I was distracted so to get me back on track he put his hand through my chest. I woke up… which is something utterly unexpected. I was halfway through standing when I realized I had legs again.

"Well, this is shocking… pleasant... but shocking."

(Sounds of sudden flashback ending)

I was suddenly pulled from my memories by a sudden communication relayed to me by one of the 'Seekers'... Apparently, we've received a priority communication calling for assistance from a nearby Hive-world. As much as I would like to ignore it I have the feeling that doing so would end… poorly. As the course was changed and I was informed that the jump would take an hour at most.


	7. Chapter 7

It turns out the war with the orks isn't going well in this sector. Dozens of ships are being conscripted to ferry civilians to safety as a means of preparing for imperial reinforcements to push back against the green tide.

' _This is interesting… Well, if it's for the sake of keeping up appearances, our aid will be more than welcome.'_ I take well over a thousand 'warriors' disguised as armsmen and medicae with myself taking the form of Lord Governor Torwinnus wearing some power armor I felt was sufficiently ornate alongside every shuttle I have to lend aid. It was a lot worse than I'd given the orks credit. I'd lost not less than five shuttles with an additional three damaged beyond repair. The second I'd hit the ground I moved to meet with the commander that was charged with holding the line for the evacuation. Or at least I would have liked to however it seems the all so honorable Lord General Arnold Van Fredereksholf has seen fit to lead this defense from the safety of a battleship… two whole star systems away from his tasked theater of war. I must say I would be lying if I said I wasn't bothered by that fact. It also seems like I'm not the only one either I'd hoped to meet one under better circumstances but the rather irate Astarties standing before a colonel that looks ready to piss himself. ' _I can't help but feel I should put the guy out of his misery… not in that way.'_

"My lord, might I inquire as to how this poor man has incurred your wrath so?" I say in my best noble voice. ' _Well… now I have his attention, he's obviously not used to people approaching him when he's angry.'_ The proud member of the Adeptus Astartes seemed more than a little perplexed by my approaching him. The colonel, on the other hand, is looking at me like I was sent by the Emperor himself. The only issue is now I seem to have annoyed the tank on legs…

"And who are you to question the wrath of one of the Emperor's angels of death?" Let's hope I actually matter.

"I thank you for the opportunity of an introduction, my lord. I'm Lord Governor Gaius Torwinnis. I was returning from a small excursion when we received the call for assistance. I was in one of the shuttles that survived the most recent landing." Hearing that would only gain me a raised brow from the supersoldier. My rank of lord governor gave him pause, most of my status we're either incompetent, uncaring, or buried under a mountain of paperwork. The fact that I was none of these things surprised him.

I'm sure the conversation would have continued if not for the crash of artillery nearby. A nearby bunker was immolated almost immediately, soon to be followed by the green tide. I was moving as fast as humanly possible the space marine was well ahead of me but I was soon sliding into the trench, my 'Warriors' being sent the command soon do the same. My armor mimicked ceramite perfectly so when I saw a massive chunk get blown out of my pauldron… well, let's say it was a slightly humbling experience. These humans were wearing cheap flack armor after all.

It had taken three hours of hard fighting to push away the ork attack and things weren't looking good. Of the nine hundred and fifty-eight 'Warriors' that survived the landing, two hundred and sixty were irreparably damaged, with another three hundred twenty-two forced to play dead due to proximity to allied forces or recoverable injured. The PDF was mostly wiped out at this point but they saw the lion's share of their losses weeks before I got here. The guardsmen regiment here suffered approximately ten percent casualties in this fight bringing them to forty-five percent since coming to his world. And surprisingly a space marine had been injured to the point of gene-seed recovery being almost impossible this being the first casualty suffered on this world. Sadly for me, he was recovered… the secrets of the master of mankind's angels of death are lost to me for now. I wouldn't see that space marine nor that officer from earlier for the rest of my time on this world.

The next wave came almost the same day luckily we were given enough time to move the dead and the "dead" out if the trenches mine being moved back to the ship. But it was in the midst of the next battle I felt a shift in the hive mind… something is wrong back in the Torwinnus sector. I was quickly pushing that aside as the next wave crashed into our trench line. This time I garnered a bit more attention than I was hoping to. I let my mask slip in my worry for my new home, and before I knew it, I was at the head of a counter charge careening through orks cutting a bloody path into them. We were committed to the charge before I could stop. Slash, stab, block, parry, stab always keep moving to falter now would undoubtedly lead to my discovery.

Seven hours of constant fighting. My 'armor' is little more than scrap more than a few none fatal 'wounds' cover my chest and arms. But we've won a hollow victory however it might be. The orks we're forced back for long enough to finish the evacuation. Now, all we are waiting for is our extraction.

As our last few shuttles landed aboard our ship, I took a final count of my losses. Of the thousand warriors that set out with me, only four hundred and thirty-two returned in combat-ready condition. Two hundred and twenty-seven returned in a sort of hibernation from being to low on biomass to maintain human form. All in all, considering the state of the forty-first-millennium, things could have gone worse. Now we make top speed back to the Torwinnis sector.

 **Hey everyone, just thought I'd hop in at the end here and let you all know how much I appreciate all of you. Thanks for the comments and support. Happy almost holidays. -Crown**


	8. Chapter 8

Making full speed home, it would still take at least a month. Even with how uncharacteristically calm the warp has been near the system, it's like something's trying to stop us physically slowing us in the warp.

It was upon arrival that we discovered the answer a warp storm hidden within the calmness I can only assume a unitary mind can cause. It wrapped around all but the Torwinnis sector's smallest mining colony at the very outside of the region. Quickly making a connection with the 'Hive Forms' on the overly large asteroid. What I found was less than pleasing. A 'Sergeant' and a poultry dozen 'Warriors' are all I find amidst the few thousand humans making up the miners and their families. It seems the violent forced severance of a connection from the others left them in a catatonic state. Even the 'Sergeant' further probes as to why this is are being returned with a somewhat surprising response. In order to respond to growing logistical needs as 'Hive' populations grew, a new species of 'Sergeant' has come into existence. These 'Majors' act as a step above' Sergeants' in the hierarchy. This restructuring has, however, left the now observed weakness in the 'Hive,' but it could be worse. The fact that they become catatonic instead of rabid helps greatly.

Reawakening the 'Hive Forms' on the planet, I run through who they are and their orders. Apparently, the 'Sergeant' that is hybernating is the commander of the local garrison with the 'Warriors' being various captains. Still wearing the Lord Governor's face, I take a shuttle down to the surface accompanied by Captain Juris. I've upgraded to one of these 'Majors' though on that thought I should think about adding a few more levels to the hierarchy to avoid later logistical issues. Small side note finished for now time to speak to my people. I exited the shuttle met by the governor of the barren world and the 'Sergeant.' Both are dressed regally. Governor Fredric Quinton was an enthusiastic and somewhat portly man. Commander Johnnathan Miller, our 'Sergeant' for the evening, is dressed as a man in his late thirties of sturdy build with more than a few metals pinned to his breastplate.

The governor stepped forward to shake my hand. He's a rather enthusiastic man. I'll gladly keep him, infecting him through his pores. It will take a few hours to take effect. He won't be a problem in the future, kiss ass he is I doubt he'd have been a problem, to begin with really. A quick meeting with the governing council tells me that there is no end in sight for the warp storm… apparently, these can go from anywhere between a couple weeks to a few thousand years though this has given me an idea. We seem to have a calming effect on the warp. Maybe if I increase the population of 'Hive forms' on this side of the storm, we could weaken the storm. But for now, I'll need to strengthen my grip on this colony.

After a day of shaking hands and greeting those of status on this backwater colony, I've learned that there are more than the usual amount of ships gathered here. Most of them are traders trapped due to the storm's interference. It's in a meeting of all of the captains of said ships and the local leaders I learned exactly what I have at hand. Two-dozen ships ranging from simple transports to even a few medium patrol vessels used to guard convoys. The local leaders are mostly shift managers and mid-level managers for the mines that make up the entirety of this small colony's export. Of course, now that the formalities are done with a thought, my "Warriors" in the room restrain everyone. Calmly walking around with a needle containing the strain to turn all present into "Majors," except for the mine shift managers, they are made into "Sergeants." After the panicked and muffled screaming subsides, they're all sent back to their perspective jobs with an order to begin stealth conversions. Taking a look into the minds of these new additions, I put our projected growth around seven-hundred and sixty thousand new "Drones," thirty-two thousand new "Warriors," seven-hundred new "Seargents," and another fifteen to twenty new "Majors." With that in mind, I've decided to move Captain Lucard's ship, and the "Hive Forms," onboard to a safe distance in case everyone here dies horribly.

While I'm letting my people do their work, I've decided to do some research. I've started to isolate the gene that causes orkoid fungal growth. From what I can tell, I won't be able to make anything too complex for a while to come maybe after I consume a few more advanced forms of Ork biology I'll get some better insight into just what I can do with it. Finally, working something out, I grab a small planter filled with some soil, focusing on what I want a small bulb begins to grow out of my palm. It's an almost perfectly smooth teardrop shape with luminescent red veins running across its surface.

I set up a small growing room with a decent lighting setup, thirty-six pots growing some rather interesting plants. The hybridization between Blacklight and plants has gone surprisingly well all things considered. There are nine pots per table, and there are four tables. On the first two tables are several large glowing mushrooms. If my tinkering proves out, these mushrooms will act as a way to spread an extremely caustic aerosol that can melt a human into a liquid biomass slurry in a couple of minutes. If I use them right, I can probably 'refine' an entire corvette in a few short hours. The next table is covered in what looks like small seedlings. These are special, they're meant to act as a short term solution for a lack of a consistent source of biomass. If enough can be grown in reasonably fertile soil and well maintained, they should be able to allow for a small number of "Hive" to be maintained indefinitely. For now, however, these plants won't grow much bigger than a bonsai tree. I hope they'll bear fruit soon. The last table has a series of bramble bushes with red thorns. Its purpose is rather apparent, an unexpected defense. Whenever an uninfected being gets caught in them, the thorns break off burrow into the target. The more thorns the target takes in, the more rapid it is in infecting them.

After three weeks, I've finally had success with the biomass trees. On the morning of the fifth day of the second week, I noticed several small buds growing in the branches. Finally, a little bit into the third week, several small marble-sized berries have formed. Well, several marble-sized perfectly smooth orbs of biomass. Each of these marbles is approximately one gram of biomass. While it is not a lot at this size, I am reasonably confident that these will scale exponentially with the size of the plant and the quality of its environment.

Checking in with the "Hive Forms," I find that if my projections are correct, then a quarter of the asteroids population has been turned, and the majority of the crews of the ships have been converted.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the storm. I'm not even sure that those inside are still alive. It's entirely likely that even if they are, the sub-sector will be cleansed by the inquisition anyway, with any number of the worlds being destroyed in their entirety.


	9. Chapter 9

The warp is a strange thing; observing the storm enclosing my system seems to give us nothing but more and more questions. Obviously, the simple prayers known by the priests I've consumed do nothing. But that's not really a surprise after all the warps no realm of gods no matter how the superstitious feel about it. There has to be some baseline energy to the warp, something I can siphon away from the storm. My most significant blocker is anything I could think of would be a sizeable biological structure that would likely quickly meet me with the attention of the inquisition.

But the 'Hive's' quick spread would lead me to believe I could manage a structure large enough to begin experimentation reasonably well. I'll have the governor set aside some land for this under the guise of a construction project. Already a large force is being directed to the perfect spot for this, and soon it will be enclosed to hide my work from prying eyes.

Over the next two months, a relatively large structure was put up. The first being a sizeable underground arboretum with a fresh crop of biomass trees planted. They look somewhat like grey oak trees with red leaves, and the fruit should grow approximately apple-sized. Leaving a few drones down there to maintain the crop, making sure they're properly looked after.

The main building looks somewhat similar to a large workshop. I remember someone hearing about these strange pylons on some far off planet, Caity-a or something like that. They were described as really tall obelisks made out of an impossibly smooth black metal stretching up for miles. Maybe if I hide what I'm trying to make in a smaller obelisk, I could use them as a disguise for the research? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I doubt this is just a problem that I can throw biomass at. First, the initial shape, I form the biomass into the shape I'm looking for a twelve-foot tall obelisk. It was a matte black with a slight metallic sheen that seemed to only come from the places you weren't looking at. Mostly just for artistic flair than anything else. Moving on to the rest, I basically filled the first one with some psyker patterned brain matter. Not complicated, but it's a start. You know if I change up how this runs, it could help me expand my area of influence, but that's not what we're here for right now.

On to the first test, having the obelisk brought up to the roof in a small enclosed area. Giving the order a bright reddish beam emitted from the tip of the obelisk with the pounds and pounds of psyker brains making it up focusing on one thought. 'Disperse'

This seemed to have an effect, the whirling maelstrom seeming to calm for a moment before there was suddenly a scream that seemed to ripple through reality. The psykic backlash seems to resound back through the focused energy, causing the relatively simple matter within the pillar to overload exploding into super crazy psykic radiation, almost completely disintegrating me.

You know I think I'd take one of those fucking Ork stikk grenades to being an inside-out head lying in a pile of ash any day. Luckily the isolated nature of the building meant no humans were exposed, and the "Drones" in the basement arboretum were unscathed. Though some of said "Drones" had to be sacrificed to heal me back up. As nostalgic as being a big slug again was for me, I need to get back to the drawing board.

The question now is if I'm barking up the wrong tree. I mean, I made a rod out of brains, but it would seem that while it worked for a little bit, I seem to have pissed it off rather than actually stop the storm though I seem to have not caused any more issues even if none were solved. I just don't know if I should just keep making the thing bigger until it works, or maybe I should look at this feedback more like something I would have to overcome no matter what. Moving back to the drawing board. Mayhaps working multiple pylons with a series of purposes into an array of sorts. But how, what would I do with the energy runoff. Maybe I should rout it back into the central pillar to direct energy away from it.

I grow thirteen pylons this time. The center draws in the energy. The four corners off of that direct energy away from the storm to calm. The eight around the outside act as overflow directing the energy into the inner four to push the storm away. Each one is exact to the millimeter with each purpose designed for their precise position. Drawing a few 'Drones' from nearby for spare biomass. Before activating the pylons, I need to make sure I have enough extra biomass in case of any more accidents. Hopefully, with the outer ring, I'll be able to cut the flow in before we have an overload. I'll give it a few days before I try again. That was a rather scary beam of light. Though then again, it probably looked like someone fired a prow lance at it.

The trees are working great, so I gave the order to establish four underground orchards to generate passive biomass. The human population is ever-growing smaller, but there's been something strange, some of the ones that are left have been jumping at shadows. 'Drones' have had similar incidents to those seeing something but only for a moment. Nothing denotes the warp, but it would seem we are being watched by something or someone. To deal with this, I might need to find something or someone to take a look around and keep an eye out. Maybe insectoid creatures for something small yet numerous or possibly plants a form of moss with hidden simple receptors to help me discover what it is. Since I have a few days to kill before testing the obelisks again, I might as well get to work on this. But before I break several… wait, there are no personal privacy laws now are there? After running a few tests, a small swarm of glowing red spiders found themselves spread across the colony. Working their way around spinning their webs.

Back at my lab, there was an attempted break-in. The unfortunate thing didn't even know there were over a dozen drones in that lab. He was converted before he could scream. He was looking for food, it's sad, but it's true all of the agri-worlds are inside the storm and honestly who knows if they would be of any use when and if we get them back.


End file.
